Posted on by Nathalie Tay
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Misname Shame: Human Faux Pas or Tech Glitch?
27 Oct
The faux pas by RTM during the live broadcast of the 47th ASEAN Summit in Malaysia involved significant misidentifications of regional leaders from Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand.
Specifically, RTM mistakenly referred to Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto as Joko Widodo (the former Indonesian president), misnamed Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong as Lee Hsien Loong (the former Singaporean PM), and confused Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul with former PM Srettha Thavisin.
This happened during Malaysia’s very first time hosting the ASEAN Summit, a globally watched event, adding to the severity of the error.
Chronology and Impact
The mistakes were made during live telecasts covering key arrivals and sessions at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) where the summit was held. RTM’s female commentator made the error in naming the Indonesian President upon his arrival. The errors prompted public backlash and raised questions around editorial discipline and broadcaster accountability.
RTM’s Director-General Dato Suhaimi bin Sulaiman issued a formal apology, expressing regret and pledging internal investigations and improvements in factual accuracy and editorial oversight. Apologies were extended to the leaders concerned, their governments, and the viewing public.
Why This Should Not Have Happened
As the national broadcaster representing Malaysia on an international stage, RTM is expected to execute flawless and precise reporting at ASEAN’s premiere leadership event. The summit’s political sensitivity and Malaysia’s image as host require rigorous fact-checking, editorial review, and professionalism to avoid damaging diplomatic goodwill.
Such misidentifications risk embarrassing the leaders, offending the countries involved, and undermining Malaysia’s stature and credibility as a summit host. Errors suggest lapses in staff training, coordination, and editorial processes in live broadcast settings.
Remedial Actions to Restore RTM’s Reputation
Prompt public acknowledgment and sincere apology from RTM leadership, which has been done to uphold dignity and accountability.
Conduct a thorough internal review and root cause analysis to identify failings at production and commentator levels.
Implement stricter editorial oversight protocols, including second-level fact-checking before live broadcasts.
Provide refresher training for commentators and production staff on ASEAN leaders and regional diplomatic protocols.
Showcase transparent communication of corrective measures publicly to regain stakeholder trust.
Coordinate with government and ASEAN bodies to reinforce RTM’s commitment to accuracy.
Consider third-party audit or consultation for broadcast standards improvement.
Possible Sabotage or Other Plausible Causes
While sabotage cannot be entirely ruled out, no public evidence currently suggests intentional wrongdoing. Plausible explanations include human error under high pressure, inadequate preparation or briefing, outdated reference materials, or lapses in live broadcast monitoring. Technical or coordination missteps at production level may have contributed to wrong graphics or scripts being aired.
Given RTM’s history of occasional gaffes in major sporting or national events albeit less severe, the probability leans more towards systemic operational weaknesses than malicious sabotage.
Summary
The RTM faux pas is a serious diplomatic and reputational issue given Malaysia’s first-time hosting of the event, touching on national pride and international respect.
As a seasoned PR professional, it is clear that meticulous fact-checking, rigorous editorial discipline, swift accountability, clear and sincere communication, and comprehensive training are essential to prevent recurrence and restore confidence in RTM’s leadership as the National Broadcaster.
The incident should be managed openly with an emphasis on learning and improving to safeguard Malaysia’s global standing and broadcaster reputation at critical diplomatic moments.
This article was contributed by Syed Mohammed Idid, Deputy Chairman of the Public Relations PRactitioners Society of Malaysia
